Apple iPhones Amongst Most Stolen Handsets

Apple iPhones Amongst Most Stolen Handsets

Figures suggest the latest iPhone models from Apple are among the smartphones most likely to be stolen in England and Wales between 2012 and 2014.

A mobile phone theft ratio compiled by the Home Office indicates that the iPhones 5, 5C, 5S and 4S were the most targeted, closely followed by Blackberry 9790.

According to the data, women and 14 to 24-year-olds are the group most likely to have their phones stolen, and people are most likely to have their phones stolen directly from their person through pick-pocketing.

The research also found that the introduction of stronger security features in phones is likely to have reduced theft levels.

Home Secretary Theresa May believes that while crime had fallen under the coalition government, the level of mobile phone theft remained a concern.

She said: "People are increasingly carrying their lives in their pockets, with bank details, emails and other sensitive personal information easily accessible through mobile phones.

"This is why it is vital that government, police and industry work together to tackle this crime."

According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, there were 742,000 victims of mobile phone theft during 2012-13.

A spokesman for Apple said: "Apple has led the industry in helping customers protect their lost or stolen devices since the launch of Find My iPhone in 2009 by allowing customers to remotely set a passcode or erase all their personal data.

"With iOS 7, Find My iPhone includes a feature called Activation Lock, which is designed to prevent anyone else from using your iPhone... if you ever lose it. This can help you keep your device secure, even if it is in the wrong hands, and can improve your chances of recovering it."